Mark Levin, Constitution Article V, and the “Liberty Amendments”

On his July 10 radio show, Mark Levin previewed contents of his new book called The Liberty Amendments. Levin points to Article V of the Constitution, which prescribes the methods by which the Constitution may be amended to reverse the federal power grab and runaway spending.

In the past, most conservatives have pushed off any notion of a Constitutional Convention or “Con-Con” because its agenda might be uncontrollable. For example the 2nd amendment could even be repealed. For years, Levin himself consistently said “no way” to a Con-Con.

But after his careful study of Article V and especially the record of the Founding Fathers’ debate on it (George Mason, James Madison et al), he argues we’ve all been missing something critical.

Namely –

Article V was specifically designed to cover the situation we face today — an over-reaching federal government. The Founders knew that such a government, once entrenched, would never vote for amendments that would reduce its own hold on power. So they deliberately included a separate amendment process in Article V that keeps Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court out of the loop.

The time for that Article V process has clearly come, says Levin. It’s been there all along, clearly explained in the historical record, yet we’ve somehow disregarded it.

How would it work? Consider the following simple, hypothetical amendment to the Constitution:

The debt of the United States shall not be increased except by three-fourths majority vote of both the House and Senate, nor may federal expenditures exceed 20 percent of gross domestic product except by three-fourths consent of the several state legislatures.

The merits of this particular amendment and wording aside, if 38 state legislatures were to ratify this amendment, it would be fully effective immediately as a formal amendment to the Constitution. No permission from Congress, the president, or the Supreme Court need be sought, none is required, and there is no appeal. The state legislatures are the ultimate authority — by design. This may come as a shock those who’ve always presumed Washington rules us all.

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Read the rest of the article and hear an audio excerpt from Mark Levin’s July 10 show — Click Here.

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